Masonry block machines



March 19, 1963 v. THORNTON 3,081,509

MASONRY BLOCK MACHINES Filed March 28, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Isaiah V. Thornfon ATTORNEY March 19, 1963 1. v. THORNTON MASONRY BLOCK MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1960 INVENTOR lsoioh V. Thornton,

ATTORNEY March 19, 1963 Filed March 28, 1960 l. V. THORNTON MASONRY BLOCK MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Imm,

ATTORNEY March 19, 1963 v. THORNTON MASONRY BLOCK MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 28, 1960 INVENTOR Isaiah V. Thornton BY WW6 ATTORNEY March 19, 1963 l. v. THORNTON MASONRY BLOCK MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 28, 1960 ZOI-d INVENTOR Isaiah V. Thornton BYfljfl M nn ATTORNEY l I A March 19, 1963 l. v. THORNTON MASONRY BLOCK MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 28, 1960 INVENTOR Isaiah V." Thorni'on,

BY @6 WW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,081,509 MASONRY BLOCK MACHINES Isaiah V. Thornton, 1153 Prisido, Pacific Grove, Calif. Filed Mar. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 18,111 3 Claims. (Cl. 25-41) My invention consists in a new and useful improve ment in masonry block machines and is designed more particularly for machines for producing blocks composed of aggregate, and having one edge compressed for substantially one half of the thickness of the block. The machine has a vertically reciprocable container and a removable pallet thereunder, The container has, in its bottom, suitable openings for passage of the aggregate therethrough, and depending members to form sides and ends of molds, the bottoms of the molds being provided by the pallet. The pallet is carried by a slidable plate which, when the blocks have been formed on the pallet and the container has been raised from the pallet, shifts the pallet so that the container, being lowered, causes its mold side members to compress the edges of the blocks as desired.

The machine has means adapted to reciprocate the container and to oscillate the plate carrying the pallet.

I have illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter fully describe three specific embodiments of my invention, viz. a manually operated form, a semi-automatic form, and as automatic form.

While I have illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter fully describe the structure and the operation of said three specific embodiments of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that I do not consider my invention to be limited to said embodiments, but refer for its scope to the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section on the line 11 of FIG. 2, in the direction of the arrows, of the manually operated form of my machine.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a top plan of the semi-automatic form of my machine.

FIG. 4 is a Vertical section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of FIG. 3, in the direction of the arrows.

PEG. 6 is a side elevation of the feed mechanism for the automatic form of my machine.

FIG. 7 is a top plan of the mold and leveler for the automatic form of my machine.

FIG. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7, in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 9' is an end elevation of the parts shown in FIG. 7.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the manually operated form of my machine has a casing C with a front wall C1, a rear wall C2 (FIG. 1), end walls 0-3 and C-4- (FIG. 2) and a top wall C-5 (FIGS. 1 and 2). A rock shaft 1 is journaled in the walls C-3 and C-4 at their lower ends, with a lever 2 midway between walls C-3 and C-4, extending through wall C-1, and provided with an operating pedal 3. The shaft 1 has mounted thereon a pair of levers 4 adjacent the walls C-3 and C-4, respectively. Each of said levers 4 has pivoted thereon a pair of upwardly projecting pitmans 5 which pass through slots 6 in the top Wall C5 of the casing C.

Suitably, pivotally mounted on the upper ends of the four pitmans 5 there is a container 7 having on its lower face a plurality of transverse, evenly spaced bars 8 having rectilinear, bottom faces 8-a, and a pair of longitudinal bars 8-1; disposed on the ends of the bars 8 (FIG. 1).

The container 7 has rectangular openings 7a disposed between the bars 8 and 8b.

A plate 9 is slidably mounted on the top wall C-5 of the casing C, with depending ears 9-a passed through a slot C6 in the wall C5, and pivotally connected to a pitman 9-b pivoted on a lever 9-c mounted on a rock shaft 9-d journaled in the wall C-3 (FIG. 1) of the casing C, and carrying an operating lever 9-e with a handle 9 disposed outside of the casing C.

A pallet 10 is removably mounted on the plate 9 beneath the container 7, having end rails Iii-a which abut upstanding lugs 9-g on the plate 9.

A latch 11, with a handle 1-1a, is pivoted on the right end of the top Wall C-S adjacent the wall C4 (FIG. 2), and a lug 11b is fixed on the pitman 5 adjacent the latch 11 to co-act with the latch 11.

The two pitmans 5 on the right end of the machine (FIG. 2) have stop lugs 12, respectively. The two pitmans 5 on the left end of the machine (FIG. 2) have stop lugs 12a, respectively.

It will be noted (FIG. 2) that the plate 9 has a pair of slots 9-11 through which pass the pitmans 5 carrying the lugs 12a.

Having described the details of construction of the manually operated form of my machine, I, will now describe its use and operation.

Depressing pedal 3 rocks the shaft 1 and causes pitmans 5 to lift the container 7 (FIG. 2), and latch 11 engaging lug 11b holds the parts so disposed. The pallet 14) is so placed on the plate 9 as to dispose its end rails Ill-a against the lugs 9g on plate 9. The latch 11 is moved to release lug Ill-b and the container 7 descends to cause the bars 8 and 8b to rest upon the: pallet 10.

It is to be understood that, when the parts are so disposed, there are formed a plurality of block molds, the bars 8 and Sb forming their sides and ends and the upper face of the pallet 10 their bottoms.

A suitable aggregate for making the masonry blocks B is now placed in the container 7 and levelled off to fill the molds.

Pedal 3 raises the container 7, as above described, leaving the shaped blocks B on the pallet 10.

Lever 9-e is rocked by handle 9-1 and through its associated mechanism shifts the plate 9 carrying the block loaded pallet 10 to the right (broken lines in FIG. 2). The pedal 3 being released, the container 7 is lowered until stop lugs 12 and 12-a rest upon the plate 9 which has been shifted into the paths of travel of the stop lugs 12 and I2-a.

This action causes the bars 8 by their faces 8a to compress the right edges of the blocks B for substantially one half of their thickness as shown in FIG. 5.

The pedal 3 raises the container 7 which is retained so disposed by the latch 11, and the pallet it is returned to its former position and removed from the machine with the completed batch of blocks B.

The semi-automatic form of my machine is shown in FIGS. 3, 4- and 5.

This form has a casing 10%) having side walls 10ila and wit-b, end walls and tim d, and a top wall 100e. A rock shaft 101 is journaled in the lower ends of the Walls IOtI-c and 100d (FIG. 5) carrying adjacent its ends in the casing 100 levers 191-12. Each lever 101% has pivoted thereon a pair of upwardly projecting pitmans 191-1; which pass through slots 1illc in the top wall ltlil-e of the casing 100. The shaft 191 has at its midpoint a lever 161d pivoted on a pitman Mil-e in a double piston cylinder 101-7 suitably mounted in the casing 19% (FIGS. 4 and 5) The two pitmans 101-42 on the right end of the machine (FIG. 5 have stop lugs ltll-g.

Suitably, pivotally mounted on the upper ends of the four pitmans 101-17 there is a container 102 (FIG. 4) having on its lower face a plurality of transverse, parallel, evenly spaced bars 102-a having rectilinear bottom faces Tri l-b (FIG. and a pair of longitudinal bottom strips 102-0 (FIG. 3) disposed on the ends of the bars 102-0, and a pair of transverse bottom end strips 102-11. The container 102 has rectangular openings 102-e disposed between the bars 102-a and the strips 102-0.

A plate 103 is slidably mounted on the top wall 100-e of the casing 100, with a depending ear 103-11 passed through a slot 103-12 in the top wall 100-e, and pivoted on a pitman 103-6 in a double piston cylinder 103-d pivoted on an ear 103-2 depending from the wall 100-e.

The two pitmans 101-!) on the left end of the machine (FIG. 5) have stop lugs 101-11, respectively.

'It will be noted (FIG. 5) that the plate 103 has a pair of slots 103- through which pass the pitmans 101-!) carrying the stop lugs 101-11.

A bracket 104, on the upper end of the side wall 100-12 of the casing 100 projects to the right ('FIG. 4) to form a trackway 104-11 for travel thereon of a carriage 105 oscillated by a pitman 105-11 thereon, in a double piston cylinder 105-11 mounted in casing 100.

A pallet 106, having depending end rails 106-12, is provided for receiving the blocks B thereon, and is mounted upon the carriage 105 which has pivoted thereon a pair of latches 105-0 so designed as to grip the rails t3-a of the pallet 106 to hold the pallet 106 upon the carriage 105 when the carriage moves toward the left (FIG. 4) and release the pallet 106 when the carriage 105 moves toward the right.

The parts are so dimensioned and related that the pallet 106, discharged from the carriage 105, rests upon the plate 103, its rails 106-0 engaging upstanding lugs 103-g on the plate 103 (FIG. 5).

A bracket 107 on the upper end of the side wall 100-a of the casing 100 supports a table 103 with lateral upstanding flanges 108-a to receive the pallet 106 when it is moved oif of the plate 103.

I will now describe the means which I use for automatically operating the double piston cylinders 101-f, 103-6! and 105-b.

In FIG. 4 there is shown diagrammatically the standard components adapted for controlling pressure systems, which I have utilized for my machine.

A pressure manifold M has an inlet pipe M-1 and an exhaust pipe M-2 by which fluid under pressure is supplied to the manifold M.

The manifold M is connected with the cylinder 101- by pipes M-3 and M-4, with the cylinder 103-11 by pipes M-5 and M-6, and with the cylinder 105-b by pipes M-7 and M-8.

Valves (not shown) in the manifold M for the pipes M-3 to M-S, respectively, are operated by cams V-1 to V-6, respectively. These cams are actuated by standard motor, reducing gear, clutch and clutch control. The system is controlled by a starting button on frame 100.

Having described the details of construction of the semiautomatic form of my machine, I will now describe its use and operation.

To begin the cycle of operation of the machine, it is conditioned as follows: a pallet 106 is disposed on the plate 103 (FIG. 5) and the container 102 is lowered to rest upon the pallet 1%, Aggregate of proper texture and consistency to produce the blocks 13 is placed in the molds formed by the container 102 resting on the pallet 106. When the molds have been filled, surplus material is scraped away from the portions of container 102 about sides of the molds.

The sequential steps, in a single cycle of the operation of the machine, effected by pressure supplied from the manifold M to the cylinders 101-1, 103d and 105-1), and controlled by the valves V-l to V-6, respectively, are as follows:

(1) Pressure supplied through pipe M-3 forces the 4 lower piston in the cylinder 101- (FIG. 4) to raise the pitman 101-e which through lever 101-d rocks the shaft 101 which through its levers 101-a lifts pitmans 101-b raising the container .102 above the blocks B resting on the pallet 106; a

(2) Pressure supplied through pipe M-5 forces the left piston in cylinder 103-d (FIG. 5) to push the pitman 103-0 toward the right which through ear 103-a shifts the plate 103 to the right carrying with it the pallet 106 and the blocks 13 thereon;

(3) Pressure supplied through pipe 1 -4 forces the upper piston in cylinder 101- to lower the pitman 101-42 which through lever 101-a' rocks shaft 101 which through its levers 101-a lowers pitmans 101-1; lowering the container 102;

It is to be noted that the shifting of the plate 103 to the right brings it beneath the stop lugs 101-3 and 101-11 on the pitmans 101-b which limit the downward move ment of the container 102 to the desired degree and also that the shifting of the plate 103 has brought the blocks B under the bars 102-0.

The parts being so disposed, the bottom faces 102-]; of the bars 102-11 compress the right edges of the blocks B for substantially one half of their thickness, as shown in FIG. 5; v

(4) Pressure supplied through pipe M-3 now raises the container 102 as above described (step 1);

(5) Pressure supplied through pipe M-6 forces the left piston in cylinder 103-(1 to push the pitman 103-0 to the left which through ear 103-a shifts the plate 103 to the left carrying with its the pallet 106 and the finished blocks B thereon;

(6) An empty pallet 106 having been placed on the carriage 105, being held thereon by the latches 105-0, pressure supplied through pipe M-8 forces the right piston in cylinder 105-!) to shift the carriage 105 to the left, carrying the empty pallet 106 thereon to the proper position on the plate 103 beneath the container 102. This movement of the empty pallet 106 moves the pallet 106 carrying the finished blocks B from the plate 103 onto the table 108 whence it may be moved to remove the finished blocks B from the machine;

(7) Pressure supplied through pipe M-7 forces the left piston in cylinder 105-11 to shift the carriage 105 to the right. This movement of the carriage 105 causes the latches 105-0 to pivot, to release the empty pallet 105 leaving it in proper position below the container 102;

(8) Pressure supplied through pipe M-4 now lowers the container 102, as above described (step 4).

Since the plate 103 has been returned to normal position it is removed from the paths of travel of the stop lugs 101-g and 101-11 which consequently are inoperatlve, so that the container 102 is lowered to rest upon the empty pallet 106.

The cycle of operation is completed.

The automatic form of my machine comprises the above described parts of the semi-automatic form of the machine (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) modified by the parts shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9, and now be be described.

A container 200 replaces the container 102 (FIGS. 3 4 and 5). It is to be understood that the container 200 is mounted and functions in the manner of the container 102. The container 200 has downwardly converging sides 200-a and mold openings 200-]; in its bottom, with depending bars 200-0 on its bottom face.

Suitably mounted above the container 20-0 there is a stock aggregate batch mixing plant 202 (FIG. 6) with feed screw 201-61 having a discharge 201-1) over the container 200. The screw 201-a is driven by a motor 201-0 having wires 201-d connected with a control switch (not shown).

Suitably mounted on the container 200 there is a frame 202 ('FIG. 7) having a pintle 202-a on which is pivoted a double piston cylinder 202-1) having a pitman 202-0 carrying a scraper blade 2il2d disposed in the container 200.

A double piston cylinder 202-2 is suitably mounted on the frame 202 adjacent the cylinder 202-13 (FIG. 8) and has a pitman 202-1 pivoted on the cylinder 202-11.

The cylinder 202-e has two pressure pipes M-9 and M-10 for fluid under pressure for actuating the two pistons in cylinder 202-e, respectively.

The cylinder 202- has two pressure pipes M-lll and M-IZ for fluid under pressure for actuating the two pistons in cylinder 202-b, respectively. It is to be understood that these pipes M-9, M-10, M-ll and M-12 have flexible portions (not shown) to permit movement of the frame 202 with the container 200.

It is to be understood that the pipes M-9, M-10, M-ll and M-12 are connected with the manifold M (FIG. 4) with suitable cam-operated valves, for automatic operation of cylinders 202-1) and 202-:2, and that i provide a pressure controlled switch for the wires 201-d of the motor 201-0, which is operated by a suitable camoperated valve in the manifold M.

In the automatic form of my machine, I provide an automatic stock pallet stacker to keep the carriage 105 (FIG. 4) constantly supplied with empty pallets 106, and a stock roller bed or conveyor belt element to remove the loaded pallets 106 from the table 108, the stacker and roller bed or conveyor being actuated by suitable means controlled by cam-operated valves in manifold M.

Having described the details of construction whereby the semi-automatic form of my machine (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) is modified to produce the automatic form (FIGS. 6-9), I will now describe its operation.

The automatic stock pallet stacker places a pallet 106 on the carriage 105. The container 200 and the frame 202 are raised. The carriage 105 places the pallet 06 on the plate 103 beneath the container 200, and the container 200 and frame 202 are lowered, the container 200 resting upon the pallet 106. The batch mixing plant 201 discharges into the container 200 a measured amount of aggregate of proper texture and consistency to produce the blocks B.

The cylinder 202-2 lowers cylinder 202-1), pitman 202-0 and blade 202-61 so that blade 202-d is disposed on the bottom of container 200. The cylinder 202-b pushes blade 202-0! forwardly, which pushes the aggregate ahead of it. When blade 202-d has passed over the last mold cavity 200-b in container 200, cylinder 202-e raises cylinder 202-!) which lifts blade 202-d above the mass of aggregate, while blade 202-d is moving forwardly. When blade 202-d has reached its maximum forward stroke, cylinder 202-6 lowers blade 202-d, as above described, and cylinder 202-b reverses the travel of blade 202-11. When blade 202-d passes over the last mold opening 200-11 while travelling rearwardly, cylinder 202-2 raises blade 202-d, and when blade 202-d has reached its maximum rearward stroke, cylinder 202-e lowers blade 202-d.

The above described action of blade 202-d causes any surplus quantity of the aggregate in the container 200, after the mold cavities 200-17 have become filled, to pass out of the open forward end of the container 200, onto a conveyor (not shown) for return to the batch mixing plant 201 for reuse.

The machine then functions to perform the steps Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, as above described for the semiautomatic form of the machine.

It is to be understood that in performing step 6 the automatic form of the machine supplies, by means of the pallet stacker, the empty pallet 106 to the carriage 6 105, and that the full pallet 106 carrying the finished blocks B is removed by the roller bed or conveyor belt.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a machine for molding blocks of aggregate, the combination of a casing having a pair of slots in its top; a horizontal plate slidably mounted on said top and having a pair of ears depending through said slots, respectively; means comprising a pitman having one end pivotally connected to said ears, a lever to which the other end of said pitman is pivoted, a rock shaft journaled in said casing, on which said lever is mounted, a second lever mounted on said rock shaft and extending outwardly of said casing, said means being adapted to slide said plate to dispose said plate alternatively in two positions; a pallet removably mounted on said plate; a quadrilateral container slidably mounted on said casing above said pallet for vertical reciprocation relative said pallet, said container having a plurality of openings in its bottom and depending peripheral members about said openings, adapted to form sides and ends of molds for the blocks of said aggregate supplied to said container, and said pallet being adapted to form bottoms for said molds; and reciprocating means for said container, comprising two pairs of pitmans, each of which has one of its ends pivoted to one corner of said container, a pair of levers, each of said levers being pivotally connected to the other ends of said pairs of pitmans, a rock shaft journaled in said casing, on which said pair of levers are mounted, and an actuating lever mounted on said rock shaft carrying said pair of levers, said actuating lever extending outwardly of said casing, said reciprocating means for said container being adapted to dispose said container alternatively in three positions relative said pallet, so that in one position of said container said members forming the mold sides are lowered to rest upon said pallet when said pallet is disposed by said plate in one position, and that in a second position of said container when said pallet is disposed in a second position by said plate, said side members of the molds are lowered to compress one side of each block substantially one half of the thickness of the block, and that in a third position of said container said side members are raised clear of said blocks to permit removal of said pallet carrying said blocks from the machine.

2. A machine, according to claim 1, in which pneumatically actuated means are provided for actuating said means for sliding said plate.

3. A machine, according to claim 1, in which pneumatically actuated means are provided for actuating said means for reciprocating said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 796,640 Hall Aug. 8, 1905 875,879 Zeigler Jan. 7, 1908 1,429,459 Schol Sept. 19, 1922 1,699,017 Poore Jan. 15, 1929 1,733,706 Widin Oct. 29, 1929 1,905,975 Thomas Apr. 25, 1933 1,919,807 Sharpe July 25, 1933 2,360,122 Gelbman Oct. 10, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 435,130 Germany Oct. 8, 1926 301,650 Great Britain Dec. 6, 1928 468,575 Italy Jan. 26, 1952 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR MOLDING BLOCKS OF AGGREGATE, THE COMBINATION OF A CASING HAVING A PAIR OF SLOTS IN ITS TOP; A HORIZONTAL PLATE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TOP AND HAVING A PAIR OF EARS DEPENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS, RESPECTIVELY; MEANS COMPRISING A PITMAN HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID EARS, A LEVER TO WHICH THE OTHER END OF SAID PITMAN IS PIVOTED, A ROCK SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID CASING, ON WHICH SAID LEVER IS MOUNTED, A SECOND LEVER MOUNTED ON SAID ROCK SHAFT AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID CASING, SAID MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO SLIDE SAID PLATE TO DISPOSE SAID PLATE ALTERNATIVELY IN TWO POSITIONS; A PALLET REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID PLATE; A QUADRILATERAL CONTAINER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CASING ABOVE SAID PALLET FOR VERTICAL RECIPROCATION RELATIVE SAID PALLET, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS IN ITS BOTTOM AND DEPENDING PERIPHERAL MEMBERS ABOUT SAID OPENINGS, ADAPTED TO FORM SIDES AND ENDS OF MOLDS FOR THE BLOCKS OF SAID AGGREGATE SUPPLIED TO SAID CONTAINER, AND SAID PALLET BEING ADAPTED TO FORM BOTTOMS FOR SAID MOLDS; AND RECIPROCATING MEANS FOR SAID CONTAINER, COMPRISING TWO PAIRS OF PITMANS, EACH OF WHICH HAS ONE OF ITS ENDS PIVOTED TO ONE CORNER OF SAID CONTAINER, A PAIR OF LEVERS, EACH OF SAID LEVERS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID PAIRS OF PITMANS, A ROCK SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID CASING, ON WHICH SAID PAIR OF LEVERS ARE MOUNTED, AND AN ACTUATING LEVER MOUNTED ON SAID ROCK SHAFT CARRYING SAID PAIR OF LEVERS, SAID ACTUATING LEVER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID CASING, SAID RECIPROCATING MEANS FOR SAID CONTAINER BEING ADAPTED TO DISPOSE SAID CONTAINER ALTERNATIVELY IN THREE POSITIONS RELATIVE SAID PALLET, SO 